


The Heart of Etheria Project

by mylifeisASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, F/F, F/M, Fairy Tale Retellings, Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:42:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26040595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mylifeisASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents/pseuds/mylifeisASeriesOfUnfortunateEvents
Summary: It was a special time in Etheria. The past She-Ra has died and so now the castle was looking to find the next batch of Princesses and the one who would be called She-Ra. All the eligible Etherian youths are brought to the castle to participate in activities meant to test the extent of their magic. But what happens if you're chosen to be She-Ra? What are the people in the castle really up to? What starts out as a glorified summer camp thrusts Catra, Adora, Bow, Glimmer, and the rest of the Princesses into a power struggle as old as time and tests their bonds in ways they never thought possible. Friendships are made, relationships bloom, all while a mystery no one knew they had to solve starts to unfold.
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra), Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is VERY loosely based on a fairy tale or two. I'd love it if you'd try to guess my inspirations. This is going to be a long fic that I'm going to try to update every weekend. Hope you enjoy!

It was a special day in Etheria. Invitations were being sent from the castle. They all looked the same: crisp white paper with their name in beautiful calligraphy, uniform writing informing them and their family that so-and-so is being invited to the Heart of Etheria Project. The teen who was sent the letter is invariably ecstatic; they’re in for an indefinite amount of time of castle food and no chores. The parents were usually much less happy; their child will be separated from them doing who knows what for who knows how long. Not to mention that there’s a chance that their child might be the one to not return.

There’s a lot of mystery around the Heart of Etheria Project. Everyone knows vaguely what it’s about, but the people in the castle keep their secrets close to their chests. The gist of it is that Etheria is a kingdom of magic. Every single living thing has some amount of magic coursing through their veins, but some had more than others. Most people had just a little, enough to always find loose change or be on time to every event. Then there were the people with a lot more magic. We’re talking elemental magic and much more. Those people were found through the Heart of Etheria Project and designated Princesses. Then, there is always one person in every generation with the most magic of all: She-Ra. That’s the real goal of the Heart of Etheria Project, to find She-Ra. No one really knows how they do it or what happens to whoever it turns out to be. All the citizens know is that one day the children are released from the castle back to their families, all except one. The child destined to be She-Ra is never seen in public again. There are myths of course and, once the child comes of age, they make a grand entrance. You can always tell whose family had She-Ra. They walk around differently, sadder. There’s a gap in their lives and hearts that changes the air around them.

But the children of Etheria either don’t know or don’t care about all of that. They’re just excited to go to the castle.

***

Glimmer was on her way to play in the woods with Bow when a rolled-up piece of paper held together with a sky blue ribbon appeared like magic from under her door.

“Mom? Dad? Bow?” She called with no response, so she shrugged and opened the mysterious scroll.

Glimmer,  
Hello, young one. This letter comes straight from the castle by order of the First Ones. Praise be. As you know, the hidden jewel of our kingdom is the one destined to be She-Ra. Sadly, our previous She-Ra has left this mortal plane, so we must begin our search for the next using The Heart of Etheria Project. That is why we have written to you. You are to come to the castle where you and all other eligible Etherian youths will be trained and tested to find the limits of your magic. A carriage will be there in three days. Have your things packed by then.  
Castle Grayskull

Glimmer was buzzing by the end of the letter. Her mother had been lucky enough to be one of the tested in the previous She-Ra cycle. Angella had been given the designation of Princess for her ability to grow wings and fly. She had met Micah during the Heart of Etheria Project and they hit it off right away. He didn’t have enough innate magic to gain the Princess title, but he was a prodigy at harnessing the magic of Etheria and therefore was a most talented sorcerer. Glimmer hoped she would be able to form such strong bonds in her time in the castle. Being the daughter of a Princess was pretty isolating because people were a mixture of in awe and scared of her mother’s power. Maybe she would finally find her place among those who also know about being in such close proximity to magic.

***

Bow was standing outside Glimmer’s house when a rolled-up piece of paper appeared at his feet. He looked around for who had put it there. No one was around. He shrugged off the eerie feeling and picked it up. As he read, his eyes grew bigger and bigger. This opportunity was just what he was looking for: a chance to break free from his dads’ expectation that he would become a historian. The palace promised intrigue and magic and fun. He couldn’t have been more excited.

“Bow!”

He startled as he hadn’t even heard the door open when Glimmer yelled his name.

“Glimmer!”

“I see you got your letter.”

“Yeah. This is so-”

“Exciting, right? I know. What if I’m a Princess like Mom? What if you’re one? What if we’re both Princesses?”

“I don’t know, but I do know that this sounds like an adventure.”

Glimmer smiled. “And we love adventure.”

***

And so the scene played out across the kingdom, teens were delivered letters mysteriously. It caused an uproar all across the kingdom, even the most derelict and sad regions. Which brings us to the orphanage: Shadow Weaver’s Home for Lost Youths. This exposed brick building in the neighborhood, nicknamed “The Evil Horde” by the more uppity members of Etheria for its supposedly higher number of criminals and overall more grimy appearance, stood like a ghoul on the street. Children lucky enough to be loved enough by their parents or just not hated enough to be sent away were scared of the building in the way that all young kids fear scary stories. They tested one another’s bravado by daring, double dog daring, triple dog daring each other to knock on the imposing door. Then they skittered away before the towering matron of the home opened the door. Considering the stories surrounding the home, it would be no surprise that living inside was no dream. Nevertheless, the kids in there survived and did what they could do before they aged out of the home. That’s where we find Catra and Adora, 1 year from freedom from Shadow Weaver, huddled underneath a blanket with a flashlight lightly illuminating their faces.

“You should have seen the look on Shadow Weaver’s face. She was so panicked that her mask was gonna fall off,” Catra said, barely holding in laughter.

“Oh my god. Then what?” Adora pressed.

“Then she quickly put her hand to her face and she started to chase me through the halls. It was hilarious.” Catra put her hand on her face and said in a mocking Shadow Weaver impression, “Catra, you useless stray, when I catch you, I’ll make you wish that your parents had done the whole world a favor and smothered you when they had the chance.”

Adora chuckled awkwardly. “Don’t you think you should maybe ease up on Shadow Weaver. She’s a raging bitch, don’t get me wrong, but she’s not so bad if you do what she says.”

“Whatever, goody-two-shoes!” Catra leaped onto Adora and started tickling her.  
Adora and Catra giggled underneath the blanket until they ran out of laughs. In the euphoria of the moment, they looked into each other’s eyes, chests heaving as they caught their breath. Their smiles eased from something goofy into something sweeter.

“Adora, I-”  
Just then, two rolled-up papers tied with ribbon appeared between them. Catra jumped back, startled. Her fur stood on end and her tail straightened. One of the papers followed her while the other stayed with Adora.

“Catra, I don’t really know what’s going on, but maybe we should, ya know, read these?”

Catra took a suspicious look at the floating paper and took a breath to calm herself. She smoothed her fur down and her tail relaxed.

“Fine. But if something blows up, I’m totally telling Shadow Weaver it was your fault.”

“Deal.”

They cautiously opened up the papers and began reading. Adora was more open with her joy, while Catra was more guarded. Adora hopped to her feet and swiftly walked to her feline friend.

“Isn’t this amazing?”

“An indefinite amount of time away from Shadow Weaver? Sounds like paradise.”

“Oops, Catra. I’ll almost think that you won’t miss me,” Shadow Weaver sarcastically intoned, effectively sucking the air out of the room.

Catra and Adora instinctively wiped away their smiles.

“I see you got your letters.”

“How did you even know about these?” Catra asked indignantly. Secretly, she was upset that this wasn’t a secret between her and Adora, that Shadow Weaver had the opportunity to ruin this just by knowing about it.

“You think you two are special?” Shadow Weaver let out a heartless laugh. “Lonnie, Kyle, Rogelio, Scorpia, they all received letters just like you. Looks like our little home is going to be a bit more empty.”

Catra and Adora looked at each other, then their letters, then Shadow Weaver. It was going to be a long three days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Best Friend Squad!!!! But they haven't really met yet. Next time we'll see everyone preparing for their trip and learn more about how Angella came to be a Princess.


	2. All You Never Say

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is a reference to the song of the same name by Birdy

It was the day before the castle would send carriages to whisk away the youth of Etheria. The energy just felt different in the air. Everyone was finishing up their preparations. Those who had the money were getting custom outfits and luggage to impress the mysterious First Ones and possibly secure their place in the castle. Families and kids who were low on resources had finished packing that first day and were now just cherishing their time together. The kids in Shadow Weaver’s Home for Lost Youths were doing just this with their formed family instead of a biological one. 

“Okay, okay. What do you guys think the castle is going to be like?” Adora asked.

“Huge beds with pillows so fluffy they look like clouds!” Kyle chimed in.

“State-of-the-art training grounds with boxing equipment,” Lonnie mused.

Rogelio did a few excited growls and clicks, and everyone nodded in slightly confused agreement.

“They probably have so many horses! Do you think they’ll let me ride a horse, Catra?” Adora asked with wide eyes.

“Calm down, horse girl. We’ll probably be too busy tap-dancing to the First Ones’ orders to do anything we think is fun,” Catra said nonchalantly.

“C’mon, wildcat. You have to be excited about something,” Scorpia teased.

“Yeah, well. I guess it would be cool if they had sweets every night.”

“What so you can get a cavity?” Adora teased as she poked Catra.

“Whatever, Adora.”

“So, Scorpia, don’t think you’ve gotten out of telling us what you’re excited for,” Adora said, directing her attention to Scorpia. 

Catra kept her eyes on Adora. She had told just a small lie; sweets weren’t what she was really hoping for at the castle. In the Home, there were barely ever moments for privacy. She was able to lead Adora away from the group precious few times, but the castle was big. They might even have their own rooms. Maybe this Heart of Etheria thing would be just what she needed to finally tell Adora how she feels. Maybe in a space away from Shadow Weaver, Catra would be able to act for herself, find a joy larger than she’s ever known. Maybe.

***

“Moooooom!” Glimmer called out as she dragged Bow through the front door. “Come on! I’ve been waiting for you so my mom can tell us about her time in the castle.”

“I can’t go faster than you pulling me,” Bow said. 

Glimmer ignored his protest and kept yelling until they reached the dining room. There Angella was sitting at the far head of the table. She calmly gestured to the two seats next to her. Bow and Glimmer looked at each other and sat down.

“I take it you two are very excited,” Angella began.

Bow and Glimmer started to energetically talk before Angella raised her hand. They stopped talking and noticed the serious look on Angella’s face.

“I won’t tell you not to be excited. That’s not… the point of what I’m going to say. I just want you to have a clearer picture of what you’re getting into.”

Angella took a deep breath.

“When I was a child and received my letter, my reaction was not much different from yours. My parents hadn’t been called to participate, so they didn’t know what to expect. In their minds, the best-case scenario was that their daughter came back with magic and benefits from the castle and the worst-case scenario was that I came back and life went on as before. They couldn’t have known the process that I would undergo. At first, it was like a dream. Beds so comfortable it felt like sleeping on cotton candy. Food so plentiful and delicious that you couldn’t possibly eat it all even if you tried. It was amazing, but then there was a shift. It’s a grueling process. They try to bring out your powers in ways you wouldn’t imagine. They test and train your body, heart, and mind. They push you to your breaking point and then past it because that’s what unlocks your magic. There’s no preparing you for that, but at least you’ll know.”

Angella clenched her hands slightly and sat up straighter. 

“I met wonderful people during my time at the Heart of Etheria Project, not least of all your father, Glimmer. He didn’t have quite enough internal magic to be considered a Princess, but he was most adept at harnessing the raw magic of Etheria, so they kept him in the castle and we were able to fall in love. Those memories are some of the best from that Project. What I haven’t ever told you is that I was friends with Mara or the most recent She-Ra.”

Bow and Glimmer gasped.

“What? Mom, why didn’t you ever tell me this?”

“Because sometimes the best cure for pain is to forget about it,” Angella said wearily.

“Princess Angella?” Bow said.

“I knew Mara. We were quite close as all of the princesses were. We trained together every day after all. When it was deduced that Mara was She-Ra, she was whisked away. It was sudden without time for real goodbyes. We were together and then they summoned her and that was the last time any of us saw her until her training was completed 6 years later. Her eyes had changed. They didn’t have the light that they once had. I wanted to ask what had happened, but I could never get her alone. And now she’s… And now she’s dead.”

Angella stood up suddenly and gripped the table.

“That’s all I wished to say. Now I must retire to my quarters. Please take heed of all I’ve said to you today.”

And with that, she was out of the room quickly. Glimmer and Bow sat dumbstruck.

“Just what have we gotten ourselves into?” Bow asked.

***

“Hey, Catra?” Adora said, turning her head toward Catra’s cot.

“Yeah?” Catra had been lying down in the dark too.

“Are you… I don’t know. It feels like this has happened so quickly. And we’re going to the castle and we don’t know what’s waiting for us there. And I know it’s awful here, but at least I know what to do around Shadow Weaver. And… I guess I’m scared.” Adora’s voice cracked on that last word.

Catra reached her hand out to Adora. Adora looked at Catra, who nodded to let her know it was okay. The warmth from their interlocked hands crept up Adora’s arm until the coldness of the night was replaced by the safety of this small embrace. 

“Do you remember when we were kids and Shadow Weaver had… She had done what she did to me?” Catra whispered.

Adora nodded.

“You said that nothing really bad could happen to us as long as we have each other. You promised. Well, I promise, too. As long as we have each other, you can grab my hand and I’ll make sure you’re okay. Got it?”

“Yeah.”

Catra started to turn back to her bed, but Adora squeezed her hand tighter.

“Catra?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

Adora’s voice sounded so small. It was completely different from the strong leader that she portrays herself to be to everyone. What did it mean that Catra got to see this side? Her heart sped up at the possibilities this hinted at.

“Just go to bed, stupid.”

Adora smiled and released Catra’s hand. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When her eyes next opened, it would be time to go to the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a filler chapter, but laying important groundwork for what's to come. Next chapter, we go to the castle.


End file.
